The spirit of the samurai it can be a brutal game at times, and I'm not just talking about the horrible things the undead will do to Chisai if they get their hands on him. However, the more you know, the more effective you will be and the easier your journey will be. We will help you take control out of the game and avoid all potential pitfalls.

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We'll walk you through everything from how to build Takeshi to how to work within the confines of the game's quirks, and give you all the combat tips you need to defeat any enemy in battle. If you follow these tips you can claim victory and defeat the undead horde once and for all.
Consider rebinding controls
Samurai Spirit makes the strange decision to assign your movements to the analog stick in the default control scheme. Why is this a problem? WELL, in a game where there are already some issues regarding the responsiveness of the controls, you don't want to make things even worse.
Analog controls are Always it will be a little cumbersome when used to control a character in a two-dimensional game. I highly recommend moving movement to the D-pad and item usage to the left analog stick. The game will immediately feel more responsive.
If you want some more clarification on why analog sticks aren't great for 2D games, it's because they have travel, meaning the stick has to move a certain distance before activating direction input. Pressing a direction on the D-Pad, on the other hand, will make your character move almost instantly.
Assigning short-range attacks is essential
You'll notice when building your attack sequences that each move will have an attack power, range, and speed. While you might think that longer-range attacks are the safest bet, you'll definitely want to assign a short-range attack to one of the alternate attack sequences. You see, The Samurai Spirit has some slightly awkward hitboxes, and it's entirely possible for you to swing past an enemy when you are face to face with them.
This is especially easy to do while facing the back of the shield-wielding samurai. I often hit their shield which was on the other side while trying to cut their back. One of the attacks that you will unlock early on that is useful for short distances is the “Cross Strike”. It hits pretty much directly in front of you. Assign this attack, or something similar, to one of your attack strings (I keep mine assigned to the combo that activates while guarding).
Choose the best stats to level up
There are a few things to consider when choosing the stats you want to level up. Early in the game, you will want to develop your dexterity, as will your stamina Enough Bass. Now, once you don't worry about the resistance as much, I would say the best stat is strength. Simply put, eliminating damage will always be important. Consider putting at least one strength point with each level up.
However, the other statistics are far from useless. Dexterity will help you with positioning, and Vitality will help you repel blows more effectively. Both can be useful. One thing to consider is that some attacks are also linked to the Dexterity stat. You won't unlock them unless you've leveled your dexterity to a certain point.
Finally, there is the bow stat. This is complicated. You see, the bow can be one of the most effective tools in your arsenal. It can completely destroy enemies if you invest a lot of points in it. However, there are plenty of cases where you simply won't be able to use it, and trying to pull it out when an enemy is within lunging range is too dangerous. AS, while your mileage may vary, I would only invest in the bow skill after you've increased your strength decently. For your sword will always be a valid tool.
How to block more effectively
While making a parry will always be great, I highly recommend that you don't focus solely on using the parry. In most cases, it will be best to use the roll to overcome an attack. However, you will block quite frequently, so it will make sense to try the parry when you are about to make a block. Just don't rely on the parry.
As for the actual execution of the attack, we recommend pressing the guard button a few moments before your enemy's attack hits. Never press the protect button, because there is too much delay and it will only make you smoke. Try to time it and then hold the button. That way, even if you arrive a little early, you'll still get a block.
Draw your enemies towards you
So, obviously, kiting an enemy is always a smart idea. So, if there is more than one enemy in a location, luring them will be a smart idea, but even if you don't see any other enemies, I still recommend luring them towards you. Why? Well, the way the stages are structured, you'll typically activate enemies once you reach a certain part of the stage. And your regular attack can push enemies forward a little.
So if you're crashing into an enemy, pounding them recklessly, you'll probably push them further to the right, and as you chase them, you'll most likely have more and more enemies coming at you. Suddenly, what was a one-on-one battle became a battle against four or five. It's never ideal. AS, stay behind, lure in single units, and don't progress until you've dispatched them.
How to use the roll effectively
Some people have said that Spirit of the Samurai has some similar elements to Souls. What they are probably referring to here is shooting. Like in FromSoftware's games, you have access to a shot that will make you completely invincible. This is an incredibly powerful tool and will be crucial in defeating some of the strongest enemies in the game. However, before you start rolling all over the place, there are a few things you need to know about the invincibility it grants.
The shot is invincible from start to finish, so if you press the shot button while an enemy lunges at you with an attack, you'll walk through it unscathed. This is typically the best way to use the roll, as you will recover as they are still stuck swinging the blade. However, the shot does not recover instantly, you will be frozen in place for a moment after the shot concludes. During that time, you will be completely helpless. What this means is that you should not use your roll to move away from enemies, as if they push forward with a lunging attack and are throwing you towards the end of your roll, there is a good chance that the attack will it will cut once you start to recover.
You can roll away when fighting slower enemies, of course, but even there you're probably better off running. Basically, never panic. Instead, Always use roll to overcome an enemy's attack, then hit them in the back.

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